The present invention relates to measuring and testing and more particularly to a clear air turbulence detector.
The phenomenon of clear air turbulence is generally regarded as one of the more significant problems to be solved in the field of aviation. Such turbulence is dangerous not only because of its potential severity but also because it occurs without warning in cloudless regions where flight crews may have relaxed in the expectation of stable flying conditions.
Many techniques and systems have been utilized in an attempt to detect clear air turbulence. These include acoustics, optical steller scintillation detection, microwave scintillation of radio, star and satellite becons, infrared and microwave backscatter, tropospheric bistatic radio scatter, ultrasensitive radar and the measurement of doppler shifts of backscattered return from atmospheric parcels subjected to short pulses of laser radiation.
The known systems have known disadvantages. Microwave systems generally require large antennas, making them generally unsuitable for airborne applications. Known optical systems have limited range. Many of the systems are so complex and costly as to make them economically unattractive.